Breaking Boundaries
by Karin1
Summary: Sequel to Christmas Eve. What will happen after the kiss? - Grissom/Sara -
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: CSI and its characters are the property of CBS and Alliance/Atlantis Networks. I'm writing this story for entertainment purpose only. No copyright infringement intended.

**Author's note**: When I wrote the last part of Christmas Eve I thought it would be my last. But because so many people asked me if this was really the end, I decided to write a sequel. You don't have to read Christmas Eve to be able to understand this story, but I won't stop you if you do want to read it first! :-)

Special thanks to Geena for helping me sort things out and to Missy for reading my story and coming up with a title! This one is for you guys!

English is not my native/first language. If you find an annoying writing error in this story, please email me (instead of mentioning it in a review) and I will correct it immediately. Thanks!

* * *

**Breaking Boundaries**

By Karin

* * *

Sara stepped out of her car. It was a quite evening, especially for Las Vegas. She slowly walked over the practically deserted parking lot, deep in thoughts. Thoughts about the other day. It all seemed so long ago, almost as if it had never happened. It…Their kiss… She could still feel his lips on hers and his arms around her.

They had not talked about it. A case, bloody and extremely fascinating, had claimed all of their attention. They'd worked side-by-side, collecting evidence and trying to find the one responsible. Soon, the sun had come up and had chased the night away. Before they knew it, the dayshift had arrived and they'd gone home, both unsure of what the next day would bring.

It was strange. For the first time in her entire life she felt reluctant to go to work again. Normally it was all she could think off. Solving crimes was her life. She had made it her life. But things were different now. Something had changed; she just didn't know if it was a change for the worse or better.

"Sara!"

Her face clouded when she saw Nick coming her way. She wasn't in the mood for…him actually. Especially not with that huge smile on his face.

"Sara, wait!"

She stopped with some regret.

"Didn't you hear me?" Nick was a little out of breath. God, he needed to work out more.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something."

Well, it wasn't a lie. She had been thinking about something, or rather: someone.

"Don't. Makes your face all wrinkly."

"Funny, Nick." Sara rolled her eyes. "So, how was your Christmas Eve?"

"Absolutely fantastic. Susan and I had a wonderful time."

"Oh Susan is it?"

Nick grinned. "Yeah, we went to this party of friends. It was great." A mischievous smile curled upon his lips. "And how was your Christmas Eve? All alone with Grissom."

Sara gasped. 'Did he know…?' But a quick glance at his face proved that he was only teasing her.

"Oh, nothing special," she tried to say as casual as possible. "We had a murder case."

"Cool, who did it?"

"The husband. He didn't like the in-laws, so he thought that by killing his wife he was rid of them as well."

Nick's eyes widened. "You're kidding right?"

"No."

"People never cease to amaze me."

"Or me." Sara wasn't thinking of the case though.

Together they walked up to the building. A loud screaming and cheering welcomed them as they opened the doors. One second later they had to step aside when Greg came running through the corridor. He was chased by two young men, not older than twenty-five. Probably trainees.

Both Sara and Nick's jaw dropped with surprise at the sight of Greg. He was decorated like a real Christmas tree. Colorful balls dangled in his ears and large red and golden strings were wrapped around his neck. To complete the picture he was also wearing a Christmas hat, red with a white fluffy brim and flashing lights all around it.

Their colleague had already pulled off a lot, but this took the cake. The noise he made was almost loud enough to wake up the corpses in the morgue.

"SANDERS!"

They all jumped at a furious voice. Grissom came out of his office. Apparently he'd been disturbed at his work, because his face spelled trouble.

"What in God's name do you think you're doing?"

Greg stopped cold in his tracks, his broad smile reducing to a hesitant one. He took off his flashing hat and hid it behind his back. "Uhmm, celebrating Christmas?"

Sara tried to smother her laughter, while Nick grinned out loud.

Grissom couldn't appreciate the joke. He did one step in Greg's direction and immediately lab boy ran off. The other two stood still for just a few seconds longer, obviously impressed by the nightshift supervisor, then followed Greg's example and cleared off.

Nick and Sara looked at each other, both eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Greggo… He's either brave or very stupid."

Sara shook her head. "Or maybe both."

Grissom didn't react. His face was blank, completely unapproachable. "I will see you in the break room."

With that he walked right past Sara, without looking at her. He acted like she wasn't even there. Sara sighed, disappointed. Well, it wasn't like she had expected him to push her against the wall and… No, he would never do that. But this was the complete opposite and as the door shut, she felt like Grissom had just slapped the door in front of her.

"Sara, is something wrong?" Nick asked curiously.

Sara cast one last look on Grissom's door, then shook her head. "No, everything is fine. Let's go."

They resumed their way to the break room where Catherine and Warrick were already waiting for them. They were deep in conversation about Christmas Eve. Warrick had met cousins he didn't even know he had and Catherine and Lindsey had held a wonderful girl's evening. They'd put on their most beautiful dresses, dolled themselves up and polished each other's nails.

"I even made dinner for Lindsey. She wanted to have a real Christmas dinner this time instead of the usual take-out."

Warrick raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know you could cook."

"There are more things you don't know about me," Catherine responded wickedly.

"That sounds like an invitation to me."

Warrick knew how to make the most of his charms and Catherine wasn't insensitive to it.

She smiled. "Maybe."

"Well, that's good enough for me."

An outsider could easily misinterpret the looks they exchanged, but their colleagues knew that it was only harmless flirting.

Before Catherine could say another word, Grissom entered the break room. "Everyone here….good." He placed some files on the table. "We have a new case."

Immediately the atmosphere cooled down. Nick raised his eyebrows and shot Sara a look, which she chose to ignore. Instead her own gaze wandered about the room until it locked onto the mistletoe still hanging above her. The same mistletoe that had played such a major part the other night. Yes, she knew exactly why Grissom was behaving that way. She was the only one who knew and she would be the last to tell.

* * *

_ The following morning _

Sara was pacing up and down the locker room, angrier than she had ever been. All through the night Grissom had ignored her. He had not talked to her and made sure that he was never in the same room with her. When she did try to talk to him, he'd made a hurried exit with the excuse that the lab results were in. It was driving her nuts.

Okay, they'd shared a kiss. A rather passionate one that was to say which had brought about a lot of strong feelings. She knew it had had the same effect on him. She'd seen it in his eyes. Their kiss had scared the hell out of him. Because of that she had not pursued the matter, leaving it to him to make the next move.

'And what is his next move? Totally ignoring me.'

This was exactly the part of him that frustrated her immensely. As soon as things got too personal he hid behind his wall, just like a child afraid of the dark. She wanted some clarity, a clue of his feelings for her, but instead he pushed her away. Every time she thought she had taken a step forward, Grissom pushed her two steps back. She was willing to grant him some time to sort things out, but she wasn't going to wait forever and his act of indifference wasn't really helping either.

Without thinking twice, boiling with frustration, she stopped, turned around and socked one of the lockers. With a big bang it slammed shut. Ironically she had just attacked Grissom's locker, but it didn't make her feel any better.

'Dammit,' she cursed, holding her hand to her chest. Her knuckles were quickly turning red.

"Sara, what's wrong?"

She jumped at a familiar voice. It was Catherine. Sara had not heard her colleague entering the locker room and she wondered how long she had been standing there.

Catherine looked concerned. She had heard the loud bang. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

Sara's voice made it clear that she wanted to be left alone, but unfortunately for her Catherine was not about to let the subject go.

She sat down on the bench in the middle of the room and looked at Sara. "You're obviously upset about something." She paused, unsure whether to continue, then said softly: "Does this have anything to do with Grissom?"

Sara didn't have to say anything; the expression on her face gave her away.

"That's what I thought."

"Is it that obvious?"

"To a woman it is."

Sara remained silent, cursing herself that Catherine had noticed. She didn't feel like talking; she already felt ridiculous as it was, like a schoolgirl with an unrequited crush on the boy next door.

"What happened, Sara?" Catherine asked again. "What happened yesterday after I left?"

Sara shook her head. "No offence Cath, but I don't want to talk about it."

"Are you sure? Sometimes it's better to talk, you know."

Sara knew that her colleague was only being nice, but she wasn't in the mood for some good yet unwanted advice. "I think you missed your calling. Did you ever consider becoming a shrink?"

Maybe it sounded harsher than was intended, because Catherine shook her head impatiently and stood up. "Well, there's certainly no better couple than you two." She continued, muttering under her breath: "Both too stubborn for their own good."

Sara jerked her head at that last comment, only to find herself alone in the locker room again. She buried her face in her hands, growling in frustration. God, why did she allow Grissom to make her feel this way? What was it about him?

She hadn't had a date in ages, always pushing the guys away. And there were guys. They all thought she was attractive, not beautiful, but attractive. They wanted to be close to her, to be a part of her life, but she never let them. She didn't bother. They were not….

Maybe Catherine was right. Maybe she was too stubborn to confess what she was really feeling. To herself, and to Grissom. And maybe it was time to do something about it, rather than sitting around waiting for him.

* * *

_To be continued…_

* * *

Did you like this part? Would you like to read the final one? Please let me know; I would love to hear from you! Thank you! - Karin -


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note**: My apologies for the delay. I had a small problem with my eye so I had to take some rest. That's why it's a little late. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed the first part of my story. It means a lot to me! Special thanks to my betas Geena, Missy and Devanie!

* * *

**Breaking Boundaries**

By Karin

* * *

Sara entered his office without knocking. Grissom was still working, apparently on something that either couldn't wait or that offered him the desired distraction. Her eyes widened when she saw her Christmas tree still standing on his desk.

'He hasn't removed it.'

After his reaction of the other day she had not expected to see it here. He'd hated the thing and it was rather horrible, but he had accepted it for her.

For a moment her heart filled with hope, but when Grissom didn't even show that he had heard her coming in, her heart sank into her boots instead. An anger rose inside of her.

"Grissom, we need to talk." Her voice was formal.

Without looking up he asked: "About what?"

"What do you think?" she shot back.

Grissom took off his glasses and gave her a piercing look. His blue eyes were of ice. "Sara, if this is about the other night… I assumed you'd realize that it didn't mean anything. It was just…something that happened."

Sara gulped. In a way she'd already expected this reaction from him; she knew him better than anyone probably did. Still, expecting and receiving were two very different things. He had pushed her away again.

She tried to control herself, clenching her fists behind her back, but she couldn't stop the words from gushing from her lips.

"Is it really that easy for you to dismiss what happened as 'just something'? Wave it away, so you don't have to deal with it and God forbid, feel something?"

Grissom sighed. "Sara, I…"

At that moment Sara made a decision, being so sick and tired of playing games. Without thinking twice she came up to her supervisor and before he could say another word, she had already captured his lips with hers. This time it was Grissom who was totally caught off guard, but his soft gasp of surprise was soon swallowed as her kiss became more passionate.

He wanted to push her away. His whole body was screaming at him to stop her. He'd let his feelings run free one time, not so long ago to be exact, and he was afraid of doing it again. But her touch was more vehement than he had expected and no matter how strong he thought he was, he could never be strong enough to resist her. Soon he gave up all resistance and found himself kissing her back, matching her intensity.

When Sara felt his lips move under hers, she deepened their kiss. In a response Grissom placed his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, feeling her warm body against his. He could hear her slightly irregular heartbeat, breathe in her sweet scent, and feel the softness of her skin against his. His head was spinning, yet it had never felt so right.

While their tongues were playing their game, their hands did an exploration of their own. His left hand moved under her top, feeling her bare skin while the other tenderly caressed her face. His lips trailed kisses down her cheeks, her neck, then found her mouth again.

Just when he thought it was going to lead to something much more than was intended, Sara suddenly broke away. She touched her slightly swollen lips. Her eyes were shadowy as she looked at him. "Now tell me that that didn't mean anything."

All Grissom could do was stare at her, breathing heavily.

"That's what I thought." With that, knowing that she had made her point, Sara turned around and left his office.

Grissom sank down on his chair as soon as the door closed, not sure if his knees would hold him any longer. His hand trembled as he rubbed his face. What in God's name was that? A kiss, yes. That he knew for sure, but the emotions it had triggered were totally new. This time there'd been no dare. It had been passionate, a kiss between two people with feelings for one another.

"So, that was quite a show."

Grissom jumped up. Catherine was standing in the door opening, leaning against the doorpost, just like the day before. A knowing smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

He avoided her gaze. "What are you talking about?"

"I heard Sara yelling at you at the end of the corridor." Her eyes glistened of mischief. "Then it was quiet for some time. And when Sara came storming out of your office, flushed and with her shirt all crumpled… Well, you don't have to be a genius to figure out what happened here."

To her huge surprise and pleasure Grissom colored slightly. She had never seen him do that. He was actually shy. She shook her head. Wonders would never cease.

Grissom cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "Is there anything else you want to tell me?" He started to shuffle some papers. "I'm rather busy."

"Yeah, I can see that."

Sarcasm was dripping from her voice. "Look, I'm only going to tell you this once. The rest is up to you." This was Catherine, straight to business. "You like Sara. You have feelings for her."

Grissom wanted to protest at her assumptions, but she silenced him with her gaze. "Don't insult my intelligence, Gil. It's so obvious. Even the news delivery guy knows about the two of you."

Her colleague started to look more uncomfortable with each second and although it did make her feel sorry for him, she didn't stop. This needed to be said. Apparently it was up to her to do so.

"I don't know what happened between the two of you in the past and maybe I don't want to know. But I see you in here. You're not that young anymore. Don't tell me you want to spend the rest of your life alone when there's a woman like Sara waiting for you."

"I don't think this is an appropriate conversation, Catherine. So if you don't mind…"

"I do mind," she cut him short. "Sara is not going to wait forever, you know. You're pushing her away. Why?"

Grissom sighed, knowing that he couldn't get rid of her. Catherine could be a pit bull when she had her mind set on something. "Okay, I will play along. For now," he added quickly. "First of all I'm her supervisor."

"And I'm sure there's a solution for that."

"Second of all, I'm a lot older than she is." He knew how lame it sounded the moment he'd finished the sentence.

Catherine's eyes flashed. "Don't give me that crap. That's never been the problem and you know it. Do you want to know what I think is the real reason?"

"What if I say no? Will you go away?" Grissom asked wryly.

Catherine smiled sweetly. "Guess again. I think you're afraid. Afraid to feel. You're afraid that she will get too personal, and that she may hurt you just like someone else has done in your past. You've done so much effort to build up that wall around you, and you're afraid of tearing it down. It's so simple. You're afraid of loving her."

Grissom remained silent. His face was still blank, but she could see a flicker in his blue eyes. Her words had effect. Good.

"Just think about it." Afraid of being too hard, she continued softly. "Don't let her go, Gil. You'll never find anyone like her."

Grissom pensively watched Catherine leave his office. He shook his head in disbelief. Why did it always have to be Catherine to point him at things? First with Sara's leave of absence, then the mistletoe the other night and now this. Was he really that blind? Apparently.

He leaned back on his chair. He needed some time to think it all over. Catherine's words had really affected him.

_"She's not going to wait forever."_

What if Sara left? What would he do then? Probably all the things he had done before she'd come to Las Vegas. But had he really been happy then? He did his job with pleasure, but every morning he returned to a cold house, a cold bed.

Now everything had changed. Catherine's words, their kiss…actually two kisses. It had opened a new world for him, a scary world, one he hadn't explored in a very long time. He couldn't imagine a life without Sara anymore. She had become his life, just like his work once had. He'd never felt that connection with any other woman, not even with Teri.

And yet he had hurt her. He'd seen the pain in her eyes. It troubled him. The fact that he could deliberately hurt her, just because he was afraid. She was right. He'd taken the easy way out. It was much easier to push her away than to admit his growing feelings for her.

Grissom felt like he was standing on a crossroad, with two paths leading to different destinations. It was clear that he had to make the next move. Sara had done enough to open his eyes. It was up to him now.

Hoping that it wasn't too late, he stood up and grabbed his jacket.

* * *

Sara threw the doors open. She still couldn't believe what she'd done. She had acted upon impulse, on her feelings for him. Had she just ruined everything in those few seconds? Was it wrong? It hadn't felt wrong. Actually it had felt so good.

A breeze welcomed her flushed face as she stepped onto the parking lot. It was cold. She held her hands in her pockets and keeping her gaze to the ground she made her way to her car.

"Sara."

The first time she didn't even hear him, totally lost in her thoughts.

"Sara."

Sara looked up in surprise as she recognized the voice. Grissom was standing near his car, holding the door to his passenger seat open.

She stood still. "Yes?"

Grissom hesitated, obviously looking for the right words. It was strange. He was more intelligent than the average man; he could quote every single passage by Shakespeare yet he was unable to express his own feelings. Even now he felt reserved, afraid of exposing too much of himself.

"Would you like… Do you… Are you coming?"

Sara frowned, not really sure how to react or even feel. This was not quite what she had expected from him. Grissom had sounded like he was inviting her to ride with him to a crime scene instead of his house. At first she wanted to decline – she could not lay aside her frustration and disappointment in him that easily – but then she remembered Catherine's words.

_"Well, there's certainly no better couple than you two. Both too stubborn for their own good."_

Catherine was right. Maybe Grissom had not said the things she wanted to hear, but at least he'd taken the first step. This was the move she'd longed from him. Not to ignore her, but to invite her in his life, making her a part of it. Of course, she had not lost her sense of the reality. She knew it wasn't going to be easy. They were both very complex people. The last twenty-four hours had proved that. But right now she didn't care much about the future. Today she needed him, wanted him. That was all that mattered.

As she was about to step into the car, Grissom stopped her for just a few seconds, placing his hand on her arm. His touch sent shivers down her spine.

"Thank you," he said in a soft voice.

Sara jerked her head, surprised by the two words. His smile was hesitant and the expression on his face betrayed that he was terrified for the consequences of his decision, but his eyes radiated warmth. That was when she knew for sure that she was making the right choice.

They drove away…together.

* * *

_The End_

* * *

_Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart... filled it, too, with a melody that would last forever.  
--Bess Streeter Aldrich_

I hereby want to thank all of my readers for their wonderful feedback this year and I wish everyone a magical Christmas and a Happy New Year !!

- Karin -


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